<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Who is the lamb and who is the knife? by softmoonlight</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825749">Who is the lamb and who is the knife?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmoonlight/pseuds/softmoonlight'>softmoonlight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, Child Luke Skywalker, Dehumanization, Human Experimentation, I'm sorry bby Luke you don't deserve to be mixed up in all of this, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath &amp; Recovery, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Planet Tatooine (Star Wars), Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope, Suicidal Thoughts, Threatened Harm to Children, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, now for potential triggers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:20:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmoonlight/pseuds/softmoonlight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Its hands are trembling.<br/><br/>They shouldn't be trembling.</p>
</blockquote><br/>A confrontation on Tatooine is painful for everyone involved.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-2224 | Cody &amp; Luke Skywalker, CC-2224 | Cody &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Luke Skywalker, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Luke Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober, Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Who is the lamb and who is the knife?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A day late, again! It's officially a pattern :) what can I say, I have adhd, it's amazing I've even managed to do this much.</p>
<p>Title is a line from "Rabbit Heart" by Florence + The Machine because I literally cannot think of good titles to save my life and all her songs are A+ for angst.</p>
<p>Mind the tags for potential triggers, please. I don't want to be the reason someone gets hurt. If there's anything else you think I should tag, let me know.</p>
<p>The prompt choices: manhandled | forced to their knees | <b>held at gunpoint</b></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Its hands are trembling.</p>
<p>They shouldn't be trembling. The doctors fixed ST-2224; it should be working at peak performance. It ages normally now, its aggression is more sharply tuned than ever before, and it no longer worries about the trivial things it once did.</p>
<p>It is, as the Kaminoans say, the perfect product.</p>
<p>Everything 2224 does serves a purpose. Its thoughts function as cost-benefit analyses only. Anything else is not conducive to optimal productivity, and it must always be working at optimal productivity for its continued function to be permitted.</p>
<p>But trembling serves no purpose. In the worst cases, it actually <em>hinders</em> performance.</p>
<p>Conclusion: 2224 is defective. It must turn itself in immediately.</p>
<p>But 2224 also must complete its mandate. The first order it was ever issued, the one that erased its weaker version. It must kill the <b>Traitor</b> that should have died on Utapau, but somehow, as it learned only a week ago while hunting a separate Jedi fugitive, survived nine years more.</p>
<p>Orders first, it decides, then it will finally be over.</p>
<p>2224 keeps its blaster where it is. Its hand shakes slightly less.</p>
<p>The boy whimpers in its grip. As a warning, 2224 presses the barrel harsher against his temple. He goes completely slack in its arms, but 2224 knows better than to release him. Small humans escape easily, and statistically, children have proven ideal hostages. The chances of the target turning themselves over increase exponentially. Especially so for this target, who 2224 knows from several days of observations keeps a distant watch on the boy.</p>
<p><b>Traitor</b>’s face twists in what 2224 somehow knows is a thin veneer of forced calm draped over quiet anger and even quieter panic. 2224 never feels such things—cannot ever remember what they felt like, because they have removed that danger—but it recognizes the expression on that face.</p>
<p>“Cody,” <b>Traitor</b> says, and 2224 flinches even though it doesn’t know why. “Cody, your quarrel is with me. Leave the boy out of it.”</p>
<p>“Order 37 authorizes the use of any number of civilian hostages to encourage the surrender of a high-priority fugitive,” it recites, because it must explain. It can say it’s because it must inform the hostage and target of the stakes, but something more drives its speech. Something 2224 can’t categorize. “Under Order 66, all Jedi must be executed for treason against the Republic. You are a Jedi and a traitor. Therefore, this use of force is authorized under law.” It pauses. “Good soldiers follow orders.”</p>
<p>“Ben?” the boy pipes up curiously, as though he’s forgotten 2224 is one finger twitch from killing him. “Is that true?”</p>
<p><b>Traitor</b>’s expression softens when he looks down at the boy. “A Jedi, yes. A traitor, no. Steady, Luke. Don’t move, don’t speak.”</p>
<p>Blue eyes flick back up to 2224, hardening once more.</p>
<p><b>Traitor</b>’s lips press together thinly in another emotion 2224 recognizes as his most dangerous anger. “Very well, if that’s how you wish to do this. I’ve committed no crime by simply existing, and Luke here has done even less. I will warn you, if you do not release him, I will be forced to resort to drastic measures.” He frowns down at where 2224’s arm pins the boy against its chest. “Even after everything, I don’t want to kill you, Cody...but I will do what I must.”</p>
<p>“Killing me will do nothing,” it responds despite the repeated incorrect address. “They will find you eventually.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps they will. But any delay I can secure is one I will gladly use.” </p>
<p>Carefully, eyes never leaving 2224, <b>Traitor</b> unclips his lightsaber from inside the folds of his desert-worn robe and activates it, holding it in front of him. All three watch the brilliant blue blade hum to life. The boy gasps, but 2224 is simply...still.</p>
<p>It feels...strange. Inexplicable. Familiar, but distant too.</p>
<p>“Last chance, Cody,” he warns, and as with every time <b>Traitor</b> has said that word, 2224 flinches horribly. “It’s not too late to stop and explain yourself. The Empire doesn’t matter out here.”</p>
<p>“Good soldiers follow orders,” it repeats after a moment, because that’s what it always says when it doesn’t know what else to say. Then the correct response crosses its mind belatedly. “And the product’s survival matters to the Empire.”</p>
<p>Strangely, that makes <b>Traitor</b> falter, both in his facial expression and his hold on the lightsaber. “What?”</p>
<p>“The product’s survival matters to the Empire,” 2224 repeats, tilting its head a little. <b>Traitor</b> is confused, and the compulsion to explain returns. “Their continued investment in select clone troopers’ upkeep to further an image of a flawless military ensures they will eventually search for a missing product.”</p>
<p>“Product…” <b>Traitor </b>mutters, then his gaze snaps back to 2224. His voice hardens, resembling a general more than a hermit Jedi. “Commander, what is your name?”</p>
<p>2224 will never forget the pain they forced it to endure until it gave in and complacently repeated the words back to them. It was angry, then, but it long since stopped fighting.</p>
<p>“Names are not permitted, only designations,” it says, too late.</p>
<p><b>Traitor</b>’s face crumples strangely. He draws in a ragged breath and shuts his eyes briefly. When they open, they dart all over 2224’s face, looking almost...sad? “Then...what is your designation?”</p>
<p>“Designation: ST-2224. Former designation: CC-2224.”</p>
<p>Instantly, the lightsaber flickers off, and <b>Traitor</b>’s hand falls to his side. The boy shifts in the hold, and 2224 tightens its arm around him. Any more movement and it might have to deem him too much of a liability.</p>
<p>“Can’t believe I didn’t notice…” <b>Traitor</b> is muttering when 2224 focuses on him again. “Blasted Empire, blasted Sith, blasted everything…”</p>
<p>He approaches 2224 and the hostage slowly, palms held up. “I’m not a threat, see? I’m not going to attack you.”</p>
<p>“Ben, what are you <em>doing?”</em> </p>
<p><b>Traitor</b> hushes him with a sharp slash of his palm, and continues forward. 2224’s muscles are all tense—it <em> knows </em> what Jedi are capable of, when pressured to a certain point—but it allows it. <strong>Traitor</strong> said there is no threat...and 2224 actually believes him. Another reason it is defective, probably.</p>
<p>He’s close now. Too close. Just barely out of arm’s reach. “Cody,”—and his voice is so quiet, so <em> gentle </em> it’s physically painful—“this isn’t you. Something’s controlling you.”</p>
<p>2224 shakes its head. “I’m not—” It can’t say the name. Falters. “I’m not being controlled.”</p>
<p>“You are. I don’t know what they did to you, but it’s not you. The Cody I remember wouldn’t hold a child hostage. Wouldn’t consider the Jedi traitors.” He hesitates. “Wouldn’t order me shot off a cliff.”</p>
<p>2224 can’t take it anymore. It’s too familiar, too much, too little, it’s all <em> wrong, good soldiers follow orders </em>—</p>
<p>He lets go of the boy, who stumbles away as fast as he can, breathing heavily, torn between hiding behind <b>Traitor</b> and staring at the scene unfolding before him with wide eyes. </p>
<p>The blaster shakes and finds its way to 2224’s temple instead.</p>
<p>This makes more sense. </p>
<p>No more trembling.</p>
<p><b>Traitor</b>’s expression goes completely, carefully, unnaturally blank. “Luke,” he orders, and the boy looks up at him, “go to my hut.”</p>
<p>“<em>What? </em> That’s not fair! I—”</p>
<p>“Do as I say, Luke. You’ll find some toys there to play with. Stay until I tell you it’s okay to leave.” The boy opens his mouth to protest, and <b>Traitor </b>continues sternly, “Don’t argue with me. This is serious.”</p>
<p>The boy glances between them several times, then scowls. “Fine,” he huffs, and stops off, kicking up sand with every step.</p>
<p>When he’s gone, <b>Traitor </b>steps even closer. 2224 twitches, knowing he’s supposed to kill him now. But the blaster’s current placement is much more comfortable, so it stays.</p>
<p>“Cody”—yet another uncontrollable shudder, even more pronounced than before, and now he <em> knows </em>that word means him—“it’s going to be alright. They can’t hurt you here.”</p>
<p>“D-don’t come any closer. Don’t...want t-to shoot you.” He has to force the words out, like something is fighting him to keep him from saying them, but it’s the truth.</p>
<p><b>Traitor </b>stops only a breath away from him, hand extended slightly. “I mean it. It’s not you. You know what’s happening here isn’t right.” His fingers twitch, and he can see him calculating whether he can wrestle the blaster away, before deciding not to try it. “Don’t do this just because something is telling you to.”</p>
<p>“I…no. <em> The chip’s </em> telling me to kill you. <em> I’m </em> telling myself to do this. It’s what I deserve.”</p>
<p>“It is <em> not</em>,” <b>Traitor</b> says sharply, and he blinks, startled at the sudden ferocity. “You’re not to blame for what they did to you.”</p>
<p>He shakes his head rapidly, so fast he can barely see. “No, no, you don’t know what I’ve—”</p>
<p>His slip is all the opening <b>Traitor</b> needs to lunge for the blaster. He has more bulk and hand-to-hand experience than <b>Traitor</b>, but he knows, remembers through a thick haze, that they sparred often enough during the war that it doesn’t matter. Kenobi knocks the blaster wide, far out of his reach.</p>
<p>Kenobi.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>The name clicks into place, and <b>Traitor</b> is gone.</p>
<p><em> Obi-Wan </em> shoves his hand out, sending the blaster flying as far as possible. As they watch, it lands somewhere in the endless ocean of identical sand dunes. Even if he manages to find the right one, he’d be hard-pressed to find it—and with Obi-Wan chasing him, he’d toss it across the desert again as soon as he did.</p>
<p>It’s gone.</p>
<p>He deflates. He just wants to...stop fighting. Stop thinking anymore. Why couldn’t Obi-Wan just let him have that?</p>
<p>Without warning, his legs give out.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan immediately lunges forward to catch him, but buckles under the momentum with a grunt. The end result is them both kneeling in the burning sand, with Obi-Wan half-holding him against him, half not, his face against Obi-Wan’s shoulder, almost against his neck, his arms loosely clutching for purchase at Obi-Wan’s sides.</p>
<p>This...is uncomfortable, but it feels more natural than the blaster. </p>
<p>The impulse to hurt him is still there, but fading with every second. His mind is getting clearer—</p>
<p>—and the pain and guilt are getting so much worse. </p>
<p>He can’t do this.</p>
<p>“You don’t know what I’ve done,” he says again, into Obi-Wan’s shoulder, and tries to push him away. Obi-Wan holds tighter.</p>
<p>“What they <em> made </em> you do,” is the correction, before a hand slowly comes up to rest at the back of his head. There’s another second before his fingers start cautiously running through his short curls. He shudders, a small sob escaping him. “I’m sorry, Cody. If I had known about the chips, if any of us had—”</p>
<p>“They wouldn’t let me be Cody,” he interrupts, musing. “At first it was because I would be punished if I used it, but now...I-I don’t deserve that name anymore.”</p>
<p>“How many times in how many ways must I say this?” Obi-Wan murmurs into his hair, but his tone is gentler than the words themselves. “You are not to blame for what they did to you. If you wish to not be called Cody, I will respect that, but don’t reject it simply because they took your self-worth.”</p>
<p>“No, I—” Suddenly, he realizes he doesn’t want Obi-Wan to stop saying it. It makes him react viscerally, but some sort of old warmth lurks under there, too, and he’s so, so cold inside all the time that he just wants to cling to it for as long as he can. “It’s fine.”</p>
<p>“Very well...Cody.” Obi-Wan’s hand slides down from Cody’s hair to his shoulder when he flinches again. “You said it was a chip?”</p>
<p>Cody nods. “They didn’t even tell me until they gave me the surgery to upgrade it. I found out...I found out later, early on, when I was still fighting it, that Tup and Fives died because...they could’ve stopped it…so the Chancellor took...took care of it.” He inhales, and yes, he is definitely seconds away from a complete breakdown, which he hopes he can hold back for Obi-Wan’s sake. He shouldn’t have to deal with a weepy mess.</p>
<p>“Just when I think I have learned the extent of that man’s depravity, he proves me wrong,” Obi-Wan mutters, which earns a small, sad laugh. </p>
<p>He pulls back to regard Cody. “It’s unbearable out here, under the suns. Let me take you back to my home and take care of you.”</p>
<p>Mention of the house makes him freeze instantly. <em> Luke. </em></p>
<p>What has he done, what has he done, what has he <em>done?</em></p>
<p>Obi-Wan either picks up on his thoughts or knows him well enough to guess. “Cody, listen to me. He will be alright. He’s a little shaken up, but you didn’t hurt him.”</p>
<p>
  <em> No, but I hurt so many others… </em>
</p>
<p>“If he’s fine with seeing you, and we explain what happened, I am sure he’ll forgive you,” he continues. “He’s a very kind, curious boy.”</p>
<p>That’s barely enough, but it’s more than nothing.</p>
<p>And he <em> is </em> burning up out here, especially in this shitty Stormtrooper armor.</p>
<p>“Fine,” he acquiesces. “As long as he’s okay with it.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan nods, stands up, and offers Cody his hand. He takes it, lets him pull him up.</p>
<p>When they’re eye level again, Cody falters, and instead of letting go of his hand, grips tighter. Obi-Wan raises a bemused eyebrow but doesn’t pull away.</p>
<p>“Sorry. It’s just...you’re alive,” he breathes, as though he just learned this. The realization is only truly hitting him now. “I still almost don’t believe you’re real.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s eyes crinkle sadly, and very slowly and deliberately, he moves their joined hands up toward his face. He draws his own away, leaving only Cody’s hand, which makes his heart stop when he actually <em> leans </em> into it. “I’m real. Feel.”</p>
<p>He closes his eyes and lets Cody’s fingers run clumsily over his face—across his nose, against his cheek, lingering ever so slightly longer on his lips.</p>
<p>“I thought I killed you,” he says eventually, voice shaking, because he has to say it.</p>
<p>“You didn’t,” Obi-Wan replies, eyes still closed. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”</p>
<p>Cody finally lets himself believe it when he slides his hand down and feels the warm, steady heartbeat under his palm.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay so for my obligatory endnote rambling list:</p>
<p>-Really nervous about this one. Hopefully I did them justice?</p>
<p>-Obi-Wan and Cody didn't know about the chips. It's my theory that Rex was supposed to have his chip out and encourage a few others but it was changed for maximum drama when s7 got greenlit, but in either case he didn't tell Cody (my headcanon is he couldn't find an opportunity, not that he chose not to) because compliance with Revenge of the Sith, obviously.</p>
<p>-<a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Order_37">Order 37</a> is a legit thing, I didn't make it up. It's from Legends though, and applies specifically to a large group of hostages. I tweaked it a little so that it can also be just one hostage, since Luke alone is enough to lure in Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>-<b>SPOILERS FOR KANAN COMICS:</b> There is precedent for a clone overcoming a still-active chip in canon when a Jedi directly appealed to them (Grey with Kanan), so this is the same sort of situation.</p>
<p>-I crave validation pls pls pls</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>